Behind The Mask
by Lucinda Marks
Summary: Life is hard when you come from a broken home, not that Roxas would ever let anyone know. But what will the teen do when someone sees past his careful facade? When this stranger sees the real him, and the real reasons for his actions? AkuRoku,Soriku,Zemyx
1. Chapter 1 Opener

**Author's Note :** Okay. So this is my first story. It's bound to be terrible. I think it has an okay plot and such it's just that I have a tendency to be harsh on myself. Eh. Can't help it now. All that I ask is that you be gentle with your comments. I have a bad habit of taking things personally. Sorry if it is a horrible monsterous... thing, but it's all I've got at this point. I plan on posting a new chapter weekly, so long as I receive at least one or two comments for the previous one.

**Disclaimer :** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters therein. No matter how many pretties I add to my please's they continue to deny letting me have them. It's really a bit tragic.

**Special Thanks :** To my long time friend Faye Silo. She helped me develope this story into something that could be interesting.

**Word Count :** 1,278

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**Chapter 1**

**Opener**

**~Beep, Beep, Beep~**

_Damn…_ He thought as the annoying tone woke him from his seemingly short slumber. Mornings were never his thing. They always put him in a bad mood. His brother only ever made this mood worse by practically attacking him whenever he didn't get up on his own. And knowing him, the brunette would probably be here in 3...

**~Thump, Thump, Thump~**

2...

**~SLAM!~**

1...

" ROXAS! Get up!" The teen screamed as he leapt upon the still motionless boy. "Come on! You promised that you would go with me to get stuff for school tomorrow!" At this point the was jumping up and down on the bed.

Roxas growled quietly before sitting up. "Sora, I could have sworn I told you to never wake me up like this again." His arms were now folded across his chest as he threw his slightly younger brother a grumpy look. The brunette's blue eyes drifted toward his feet. A light sigh escaped his lips before he sunk down next to his twin. "Sorry. I know you don't like it when I attack you in the mornings."

The blonde couldn't hold back the soft smile that took over his features, nor the arm that found it's way around his brother's shoulders. "It's alright, just try not to do it again." Sora looked up and returned the smile with enthusiasm. "And you're right. I did promise to do that today. You go ahead and eat while I get ready okay?" Sora leapt from the bed, "Okay!" a smile still threatening to split his head in two as he left the room.

Roxas slowly got out of his bed, not wanting to leave the comforting warmth it's blankets provided. He walked over to his closet and grabbed the first things he saw, a black MSI concert tee, a pair of tight blue jeans, and his faded black converse. Then he went to the bathroom to attempt the always futile task of fixing his hair. After a few minutes of zero progress he gave up and went downstairs to find his brother humming some unrecognizable tune while chewing on a granola bar.

"Finally," the brunette teen complained after swallowing. " I swear Rox, you take longer than a _girl_ to get ready." With that said he grew a mischievous grin and fled out the front door knowing how much his brother hated being compared to a girl. "Sora!" the blonde cried, darting out the door after his brother who was already half way down the street. They ran like that the whole way to the store. Once inside, they stopped to catch their breaths, panting and grinning like mad men.

"Sora? Is that you?" someone voiced from behind the two. "Oh, and Roxas. What a surprise." Sora turned to look at the origin of the voice, his expression alone could tell anyone who it was. "Riku!" he cried as he embraced the silver haired teen. "What are you doing here?" God, Sora was always so annoying when he got like this. "Last minute school shopping," Riku responded with a sheepish smile, "What about you?" Sora smiled broadly at his friend. "Same."

_Ugh. _Roxas thought. He loved his brother, but sometimes he just couldn't stand his bubbly personality. Sometimes it seemed like _Sora_ might be the girl. The blonde smirked to himself at that thought and turned to leave the two friends to talk. He figured that he should go ahead and get the shopping done, rather that wait all day for Sora to finish talking with Riku.

Roxas dug into his back pocket and pulled out the schedule/supply list he had received in the mail.

**1****st**** Hour - English………....................1 Spiral Notebook, 5 #2 Pencils, 3 Red Pens**

The required supplies were generally the same for each class with just a few key differences, such as a calculator for arithmetic. The blonde teen drifted from aisle to aisle, grabbing two of everything. One for him, one for Sora. Gradually, Roxas came to the last class listed, art. He never really cared much for the subject, he just signed up for it because he was required to take a class of 'arts.' When he finally reached the aisle he needed, the teen stopped dead in his tracks. Good thing too, or else he may have run right over the poor man. Standing there, right in front of the shell-shocked blonde, was a rather tall man with unnaturally vibrant red hair and, at this moment, shock-filled emerald eyes.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, the red haired stranger smirked at Roxas. Did his heart just skip a beat? No, it couldn't have. It was just acting up because of his rushing through the store.

"Sorry," Roxas mumbled as he made his way around the strange man and his penetrating gaze, his face heating up ever so slightly from what could be assumed as embarrassment. It was almost as if those green eyes of his could see right through him. Nothing had ever frightened him more. The blonde rushed to get the things on his list. Quickly, he reached and took the first pack of colored pencils he saw.

"I wouldn't get those ones if I were you," a deep smooth voice spoke from behind him. He turned around and (surprise, surprise!) it was the red haired man. "Oh? And why would I care about what you would get?" Roxas snapped back as he grabbed a box of pastels. He could hear the footsteps get closer. "Maybe because I happen to know a thing or two about this stuff." The strange man was still smirking as he came to a stop just behind the blonde teen. Roxas rolled his eyes and grabbed a sketchbook. "And what, might I ask, makes you think that even remotely care about any of this 'stuff'?" The red head shrugged, his seemingly permanent smirk never wavering. "Well, I figured you might, seeing as you're obviously taking a class over this 'stuff'." Roxas picked up a box of paints and then glared at the strange red head. "Guess that shows how little you know about me."

After that, before the taller male had a chance to respond, Roxas walked out of the aisle and went to the front of the store. Unsurprisingly, Sora was still talking animatedly with Riku. Roxas then took the liberty of paying for all of it before rejoining the other two teens.

"Hey Sora. I've finished all the shopping. What's say we get goin'?" The brunette looked over at his blonde twin, eyes growing large and apologetic as he took in the sight of Roxas holding the bags. "Oh my god Roxy, I'm so sorry!" The slightly younger teen somehow latched himself to his elder brothers arm. The act seemed to amuse Riku quite a bit. What with his face growing red with suppressed laughter. Roxas threw him the best death glare he could manage. "Okay, first, never call me Roxy. Ever. And second? Let go of my and it's fine." Sora, naturally, did no such thing. He didn't do anything but let worry crease his brow.

"Are you sure?" The brunette was beginning to resemble a deer in headlights. "Yes, now let go of my arm and lets get home," Roxas spoke softly, gently even, to his somewhat spastic brother. Sora finally released the blonde's arm and smiled that famous smile of his. "Alrighty then." He turned and hugged his friend once more, "Bye Riku, see you at school tomorrow."

And with that, the twins left the store and all the people in it to return to the place that they called home.

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**Author's Note :** Okay, so it was a lot more terrible than I thought. And it isn't very long. Ugh. That's annoying. Anywho, please be kind enough to leave me a comment telling me how you feel about this story. Hell, give me advice! It dosen't really matter. I just need something. Please?


	2. Chapter 2 Who Needs Sleep?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters or cities. No matter how much I beg they keep saying no. The only thing in here that I actually _do_ own is the plot and story line. But that's about it. Oh, and any OC's that may or may not appear.

**Special Thanks:** To my long time friend Faye Silo who helped me fine tune the plot of this story. And to all of you who have chosen to stick with me and this story until the end.

**Story Alerts: **91, SarahXxUnlovedxX, pyrokinetic Axel, slightlee-.-sarkastik, and the masochist and the sadist. Thank you guys, for putting the alert in, it made me really happy!

**Story Favorites: **91, Tai Calibre, and slightlee-.-sarkastik. Yay! It shocks me that people already like it so much.

**Reviews: **SarahXxUnlovedxX - Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it!

slightlee-.-sarkastik - Thanks. At least some people like it. And I highly doubt yours is worse! And don't worry, so long as people like it, I plan to finish this story till the end!

pyrokinetic Axel - Thank you, personally, I thought it was a weak opening, but oh well.

**Word Count:** 1,322

**Author's Note:** Okay, I was skeptical about how this story would be recieved. (I was almost positive that people would hate it and yell at me about how much I suck at writing. What can I say, I'm a worst-case scenario kind of person.) But in the end I recieved encouragement and love.(~^-^~) Needless to say, it made me incredibly happy. I hope you will all continue to enjoy Behind The Mask. I'd like to take a moment to warn you who are about to read, this chapter is majorly depressing. I nearly cried after I read over it. (And I don't cry easily!) I am also in need of a beta reader. If any of you are intrested, please send me a P.M. Now, on with the chapter!

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**Chapter 2**

**Who Needs Sleep?**

Roxas knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. And yet he did. He had allowed himself to think that his father was going to stay out all night like he sometimes did. It had seemed a likely possibility when they had gotten home from the supermarket and he was still gone. But no. He had just been out drinking again. Roxas kept telling himself that he should have known.

It had seemed odd at the time how quiet the house was when they had finally returned. Sure. It was typical that their mother had stayed in bed all day, but their father should have been home by then. That's when the first sliver of hope began to bloom inside the blonde teen.

The two boys, being the responsible teens they had been forced into becoming, spent the remainder of the afternoon getting their things packed and ready for school. Tonight was their last night home. Roxas dared to actually start believing that his father wouldn't come home that night.

Sora, being the culinary genius he was, had decided to make a special dinner that night. Their favorite, as a sort of farewell, home-made pizza. It was one of the few meals that Roxas could actually help with. You know, without the fear of burning the house down. They were able to finish eating and to clean the dishes without an appearance from their father. This only fed the false hopes forming within Roxas' heart.

It was an hour after Sora had gone to bed that their father finally appeared. Roxas had been reading in the living room when the man stumbled in, the room was shortly filled with the smell of alcohol. His immediate reaction to this sight was the same as it was every other night this happened. To protect his brother from any knowledge of the event by sound proofing his door with a towel wedged under it. Then, to go and warn his mother of the danger that was coming her way.

This is where things went awry. When the blonde had entered his mother's domain, the room was completely empty. She was no where to be found. _Crap._ Was the only word to enter his mind. If his father had been unable to find their mother, he would search for her. And in his state, a.k.a. drunk off his ass, he could mistake anyone for the woman he was searching for. Even Sora. Roxas had always looked more like their mother, but who knows how far the bastard would go when he was this off kilter. With this thought in mind, he went back into the living room to face the man who had the nerve to call himself a father. _Well,_ he thought to himself,_ better me than Sora._

"There you are Silvia," the drunken man slurred pointing a shaky hand at Roxas. "What did I tell you about hiding from me like that?" he was practically growling now. The blonde could only stare at the man, frozen with fear, eyes big, fighting back tears." Well?" he asked, voice dripping with venom as he stumbled over menacingly. The man stopped in front of the youth and slapped him with enough force to cause black spots to play across his vision. "You answer when I talk to you, you good for nothing _whore_!" the man yelled, slapping him once more, this one caused the teen to fall to the ground. Roxas looked up at his father, eyes wide with terror, his voice stuck in his throat.

"You bitch. Not even gonna dignify me with words? Just gonna give me those accusing stares?" This time the youth received a kick in the ribs. He screamed. "You will speak," he hissed as he threw another kick into his ribs, grinning wickedly at the sound that escaped. The drunken man bent down toward Roxas, who was curled up on the ground, and grabbed the teen by his hair and pulled him to eye level.

"Now, repeat after me." His grip tightened and he gave Roxas a small jerk, forcing a small whimper to fall from his lips. "Say, 'I'm sorry Rodger.'" The man was wearing a lopsided maniacal grin. "Say, 'I'm sorry for being a bitchy little whore." Roxas was still struggling to find his voice. His throat was tight with fear and pain. Not a sound came out willingly. His silence caused his father's grin to be replaced by a furious scowl.

Next thing he knew, Roxas was on the ground again, the back of his head throbbing from the sudden contact with the ground. The boy groaned, his entire body crying out in pain. He didn't want Sora to hear. Sora could never know the truth about their father. Not so long as Roxas was there to keep it from him. It would destroy who the brunette was. Roxas wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that he had caused it. No, Sora could never know.

Before he even had a chance to open his eyes the blonde felt a fist connect with the right side of his face. At this point, he couldn't open his eyes without feeling any pain. He would have to suffer blindly now. After that last hit, he could taste something coppery in his mouth. He was bleeding.

Rodger had found his way to his feet, pulling Roxas with him. The next instant, the young teen was being pinned against a wall, a hand closed firmly around his throat. "Now Silvia," the drunken man said. The teen dared to open his eyes. His father was mere inches away from him, his face was flushed, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused. He was wearing that frightening grin of his once more.

"This is your last chance," his grip on the blonde's neck tightened ever so slightly, "Apologize," he growled. Thankfully, Roxas was able to finally find his voice. As he spoke, his crystal blue eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

"I-...I-I'm...s-sorry Rodger...," he gasped out. "Yes, but what for?" the man leaned forward, his hot, alcohol laced breath brushed across his eldest son's face. "I-I'm sorry...for b-being a...b-bitchy wh-whore..." He struggled to free himself from the man's grasp, feeling faint from air deprivation.

Rodger's grin grew to a point where it appeared as if it might split his head in two before he finally threw Roxas to the ground. "There," he said in a gentle tone. "Now was that so hard?" Before Roxas could even consider responding, the drunken man stumbled down a hallway to his room. The moment he heard the door shut, the blonde couldn't retain it any longer, and burst into tears.

It took at least an hour for him to stifle himself to quiet sobs. Once that was finally accomplished, he went and removed the towel from Sora's door to avoid unwanted questions. Then, Roxas dragged himself to his room. Slowly, he peeled off his clothes that he had worn and dressed himself in suitable sleepwear. A big t-shirt and some flannel pajama pants. Then, he crawled into his bed and let his tears have free reign once more.

He cried for the pain he was in. The pain his mother always had and always would endure. For the growing secret he had to keep from his twin brother. Roxas cried for the lies yet to be told. He cried for everything. It was the first time he had ever allowed himself such an action. He had always told himself that it would only cause him to be weak, that crying was merely a sign of weakness. Seeming weak was the last thing the boy would ever want. Weakness led to pain. Nothing else. But right now, he had finally reached his breaking point. It was inevitable.

Tonight was the first time he had ever cried himself to sleep. But it wouldn't be the last.

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**Author's Note:** See! I told you it was sad. And yes. His parents are OC's. I just didn't have the heart to make one of the actual Kingdom Hearts characters do that. PLEASE DON'T BE MAD!! ..........._................o_o............_...............*runs away*

I love each and every one of you! That is, until you give me a reason not to.

Luci M.


	3. Chapter 3 Lies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters. The only things within this story I _do_ own is the storyline and Mr. & Mrs. Hikari. Other than that, everything else is not mine. No matter how much I wish it were, it never will be. =[

**Reviews:** SarahXxUnlovedxX - I know, I felt bad just for writing it! TT-TT , BanpaiaYoru - Yes, it was depressing. This story is ment to have darkness in it. I'm glad you enjoy it. , Fullsteel - I know! He is eebil!!!!(lol!) I plan for him to get his at some point. It won't be all that soon though. Thanks, ^^ compliments on my writing style make my day!! , snowlessangel - It was horrible, traumatic, and depressing!!!(what a combination!O.o) Thank you, I plan to. , slightlee-.-sarkastik - Yeah, I'm not all that great at making dramatic scenes. Given, it is my first attempt at it. But yeah. Thank you!

**Alerts: **BanpaiaYoru Thanks for alerting my story!!!!

**Favorites:** Fullsteel, snowlessangel, ShinigamixGirl Thanks for adding my story to your favorites!!!!

**Special Thanks: **As always, to my best friend Faye Silo who helped me develope my ideas into this story!

**Word Count:** 1,515

**Author's Note: **Okay, sorry for the small delay in updating. I can't promise to update it on the same day every week. But I can say that there will be a new chapter up every week. And if you guys are lucky (and if it stays at least as popular as it is...) you might get another over the weekends. I'm still looking for someone who will beta my chapters. It would be very much appreciated. And I'd like to warn you that around Chapter 6 I'm going to change the PoV! That's about it, NOW ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!

**

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**Chapter 3**

**Lies**

_**~Beep, Beep, Beep~**_

The blonde youth groaned and flipped onto his side to see the clock. It read that it was seven in the morning. _Shit._ He quickly shut off the annoying alarm as he sat up, regretting the movement instantly. His left side screamed with his back, and the right side of his face did when he scrunched it up to repress the small whimper threatening to escape from his lips. The pain brought back the painful memories of last night in a rush, his eyes suddenly threatening to overflow again.

Throughout this whole ordeal, Roxas was unable to make himself register the sound of feet approaching his door until it was too late. Sora opened the door with the usual enthusiasm that possessed him in the mornings. Out of pure reflex the blonde looked toward the source of this commotion. Watery blues locked with concerned. In the next instant, the brunette was next to his fairer twin.

"_What happened to you?!"_ he all but whispered. The elder teen feigned confusion. "What do you mean?" he even threw in a large yawn to help him hide the pleading in his eyes. The last thing he needed was Sora getting worked up over this. He might discover the truth. "**Roxas!** You have a _black eye!_ The whole right side of your face is _swollen! _How. Did. This. Happen?" Sora spoke with a stern voice, now struggling to fight back tears of his own. The blonde sighed heavily, allowing a small smile despite the pain for the benefit of the brunette.

"Nothing happened Sora. I probably just hit something in my sleep. That's all. Nothing to get so worked up about." With that said, he put a reassuring hand on his twin's shoulder. Sora didn't look as if he was buying the tale Roxas had offered. It wasn't all that surprising. In his early teens Roxas was known for sneaking out late at night and getting into fist fights. Which he always won despite his short stature. Not that he ever took that into account. Sora had known about his little adventures into the abysmal night. The blonde was a little relieved when he recognized the tone as the one from then. He wasn't suspicious of the truth just yet.

"Come on Sora, we both need to get ready for our first day of school. You go ahead and shower first, and I'll wake up dad so he'll be ready to take us." Sora looked at him with an odd expression. From what could be seen it would appear as if the brunette might have been torn between pointing out the lies his brother had just tried to feed him and actually doing what he suggested. After a moment of silence he nodded and, with slumped shoulders, left the blonde teen's room. Roxas let out an exasperated sigh once the other had left before rising from his bed and leaving himself.

Several minutes passed as Roxas stood outside his father's bedroom door. He couldn't seem to bring himself to actually open the door. Yet, he knew that he had to. I he didn't do it Sora might get suspicious. Roxas had never been the type of person to say he'd do something and not follow through with it. So, if he suddenly did, it would be a cause for suspicion. Finally, the fair teen took in a deep breath as he slowly turned the door knob.

The room was submerged in darkness. Alcohol still lingering in the air. His cerulean, terror filled eyes were immediately drawn to the lump in the bed. The boy's whole body seemed to start shaking against his will as he stood there silently watched the small rises of the lump as the man breathed. At least today he didn't seem to have a problem finding his voice.

"Umm… dad?" he called out nervously, taking a furtive step into the gloomy room. The lump on the bed shifted slightly and then released an exasperated groan. "I was, uh… just letting you know that today is me and Sora's first day of school and we're going to need you to drive us there. -But-you-don't-have-to-rush-or-anything-. We still have to get ready… Just letting you know…" Roxas let his nervous babble trail off. The lump shifted again, this time into a sitting position. The only acknowledgment he received was a slightly agitated grunt. With that done, he the blonde quickly retreated to the safety of his own room.

The blonde youth had sat in his room, practically catatonic. That is, until he heard Sora exit the bathroom. He was able to snap out of it just in time for said brunette to poke his head into the room. "I'm done. Your turn," his expression was unreadable, "While you're in there I'm going to go ahead and start on breakfast." Then, just as fast as he had appeared, he was gone, padding down the hallway and down the stairs. Roxas rose from where he had been seated and went toward his closet to grab the out fit he had left unpacked for today. It consisted of a pair of faded black skinny jeans, a tight fitting white tee, a black zip-up hoodie, and black-and-white checkered slip-on's, along with his matching wrist band. With said items piled in his arms, the teen made his way to the bathroom he and his twin shared.

It was the first time the blonde had laid eyes on himself since before the incident last night. He looked awful. Even compared to the way he looked after his fight way back when. Not only was his black eye ever-so-present, but it was all the more noticeable because of how pale he was. He was fair-skinned by nature, but this was unearthly pale. At least the swelling had gone down. Roxas heaved a heavy sigh before giving in to his hygienic needs. He entered the shower, relishing the feeling of the hot water slowly working to sooth his aching body.

After some time, Roxas finally pulled himself out of the comforting downpour. It was while he was in the midst of drying off that he noticed the large yellowed area on the left side of his ribs. A small, sad sigh escaped his lips as he pulled his shirt over his head, followed by his pants. Then, as he was attempting to style his hair, leaning closer towards the mirror, he caught sight of the very subtle form of a hand on his neck. The teen shuddered at the memories and pain.

It was the scent of pancakes that finally pried him out of the bathroom. Roxas descended to stairs, crossed the living room, and froze in the doorway to the kitchen. No, it wasn't because his father was there shoveling food into his mouth. Well, not entirely. It was the pink frilly apron of his mother's that Sora wore while whistling and flipping the last of the pancakes. The blonde teen stood dumb-struck for a moment. He had seen Sora in the thing every time he cooked, but he was never able to get used to the strange sight. He blinked a few times before just shaking his head and taking a seat. One far from his father.

The moment he sat, a plate stacked full of pancakes was set in front of him. A small smile curved his mouth upward. Roxas reached and grabbed the bottle of syrup and proceeded the drench his pancakes with it. As he set the syrup back he noticed his father was sating at him, a blank look on his face, a slight glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "Roxas," the dark haired man said softly with a stern undertone, "What happened to your face?"

_What? Don't recognize you own handiwork?_

"Nothing, I hit something in my sleep," the blonde mumbled in response.

Sora sat down and started shoveling his breakfast into his mouth. Roxas mimicked the action not feeling up to having a conversation with his father just yet. The rest of the morning went by in a blur. Sora called 'shotgun' for the ride to school, not that his blonde counter-part minded in the least. The car ride was a silent one, save for the soft music being emitted from Roxas' head phones and Sora's light snores. It wouldn't be long until they arrived at the school. Then the blonde boy would say good-bye to the terrible place he called his home. For now at least.

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**Author's Note:** I hope you guys liked it!!!! It seems kinda like a filler, but the next one will be more eventful. Please leave me some love! I could use it!

*eats pocky from Sarah*

Sincerely,

Luci M.


	4. Chapter 4 Orientation

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of their characters. Otherwise, the whole story might have been just a bit different.

**Fav's, Alerts, and Reviews: **Thank you everyone for your continued support, I appreciate it imensely. I'm sorry to say that I will no longer be replying directly through here, it takes too much time and I figure you guys want this asap.

**Word Count:** 1583

**Special Thanks:** To my new Beta Reader, slightlee-.-sarkastik! I luffles you forever for doing it!!!!

**Author's Note:** Okay, sorry about the wait guys, but hey, at least this one was beta'd!!! The next chapters might not be up for a while because I'm going out of town for Christmas. Maybe I'll write a Christmas one-shot to make up for it!^^ Who knows, maybe I'll hit some new insperation. The world may never know. Haha. That reminds me of tootsie pops.=] Anywho, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!!! Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4**

**Orientation**

It was early afternoon by the time the two boys arrived at the school. Sora was now awake and practically bouncing up and down in his seat. It was quite the humorous sight to see. Roxas was in silent awe. He had never been able to get used to the magnificent splendor of the majestic buildings. Built from large white stones, the place looked more like a castle than the educational facility it was. It always took the twins a couple of weeks just to adjust to living in such an amazing place. They loved it though, Roxas more so than Sora. It was peaceful. There was nothing here that could hurt him or his brother. At least, not so long as he had anything to say about it.

The car slowed to a stop at the main entrance. Sora said goodbye to their father, only receiving a grunt in return. Roxas just got out without so much as a glance at the man. The two teens then took their bags and watched as the beat-up geometro shrunk in the distance. The farther it got the more the two boys expressions contrasted one another, the brunette's grin gradually shrinking, the blonde's growing. A small sigh escaped the younger teens lips before he put up another one of his smiles.

"Well, shall we go see where they've put us this year? Maybe they finally decided to separate us."

Roxas looked over at his twin, identical pairs of cerulean eyes locking. He let out a small chuckle.

"Ah, one could only hope." He ended with a smirk aimed at his brother. Sora gave him a look of utter confusion, a hint of hurt and anger beneath it.

"I'm not _that_ annoying… am I?" The brunette pouted.

"No," Roxas said, serious now, " It's just that I live with you outside of school. I'd like to experience a change. That's all."

Sora appeared to be thinking about this for a moment. "I see your point, but I still wouldn't want to get stuck with a stranger."

"True."

"If I'm not with you, I'd better not get stuck with some freak." The younger teen was biting his lip in worry. It was a bad habit that both of the twins had formed long ago.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If nothing else, we can always complain to the front office. Who knows, maybe we'll be lucky enough to have our own rooms."

Sora still didn't look too happy. "Yeah, but I really doubt it."

By now the two boys had entered the front office and were both standing in front of the secretary's desk.

"Can I help you boys?" The mousey secretary asked looking up at the two of them. Sora was naturally the first to speak up.

"Yes, we need our room numbers and keys." She smiled at him.

"Ah, yes, of course. Let's see here…. What are the names?" she asked while typing things into her computer.

"Sora and Roxas Hikari." A few keystrokes later, and they were ready to go.

They were lucky. So far, at least. Sora was in room 137, conveniently located right across the hall from Roxas in room 138. It was a shame that the secretary couldn't tell them who their roommates, if they had any, would be. Knowing their luck, Sora would get to room with his best friend, he was truly lucky, all the time, and Roxas would get stuck with some creep. And knowing Roxas, he would probably beat the poor kid up the instant he even started to get on his nerves. The blonde was only hoping that he wouldn't jinx it. Seeing as his thinking about them having separate rooms came true, who knows, maybe these thoughts would end up coming true too.

The boys boarded the elevator at the end of the hall. None of the students' rooms were located on the ground level. The twins' room was located on the second floor. They waited in silent anticipation throughout the ride upwards.

The elevator stopped on the second floor, doors opening impossibly slow. Both of the brothers were somewhat anxious to get to their rooms. Said rooms just so happened to be located at the end of the hallway, near the bathrooms. It was here that the twins finally separated, the blonde going left, and the brunette going right. Needless to say both of them were extremely surprised when Sora was practically tackled by a silver blur.

_Holy Shit. Then that means…_

Roxas opened his own door more than relieved to find it completely empty. He was downright ecstatic. It would seem that lady luck had chosen to favor both of the Hikari twins today. Sora got to room with his best friend, meanwhile Roxas got his own room. Just the way he liked it.

While Sora and Riku were rejoicing in their great fortune, Roxas went into his room, shutting the door behind him. The teen wanted to get everything unpacked and put into the dresser and such before he found other plans.

The school provided each student with a bed for themselves, and a dresser and desk to share with their roommate. There was a laundromat down on the ground floor, along with a recreational room filled with board games, puzzles, movies, and video games. Each students room had, as of this year, been supplied with a computer. The one in Roxas' room was a poor decrepit thing. He couldn't even imagine how one might ever dream of getting the thing to work. Not that he needed to, he had remembered to bring his personal laptop.

It was moments like this that made the blonde think himself slightly odd. He was actually enjoying himself. It was fun to put his clothes into the dresser, and to set up all the pictures, knick-knacks, and other mementos about the room. Were he a normal teenaged boy, like his brother, he would not bother with any of it now. That's what separated them though. Well, other than the different hair color thing. If it weren't for those two factors, no one would be able to tell them apart.

After about an hour and a half, he was finally finished unpacking. He slid all of his suit cases and the like underneath the bed he had claimed. Now he was left with a little over an hour until the school's mandatory orientation. Roxas had never like the thing. The whole ordeal was a complete bore to him. It consisted of an announcement of the rules for the benefit of all new students, a naming of all clubs and their meeting times, and the introduction of any and all transfer students.

Roxas chose to be nice and help Sora unpack before orientation with his spare time. To put it simply, the experience was uneventful.

Once they had finished the three boys went to the auditorium where the orientation was going to be held. They arrived just in time to catch the beginning. Sora and Riku were whispering to each other the entire time, Roxas on the other hand, was merely trying not to fall asleep.

Then, after a good twenty minutes into the event, something bright red moving across the stage caught the blonde's attention, causing his mood to turn foul. It was_ him._

"And now please welcome the first of our two new transfer students." The principal motioned toward the red-haired man as the audience gave light applause.

"Uh, hi," he murmured into the microphone, Roxas thought he was either nervous or quite possibly just over confident. "I'm Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?"

Definitely over confident.

Roxas couldn't help the sudden disliking he felt for the guy. He just sort of rubbed him the wrong way. To be honest, the blonde wouldn't have been surprised if he was glaring daggers at him. Axel was now sitting off the side of the stage. The teen had probably been there earlier; Roxas had just been too out of it to have noticed. Once the red-head was sitting his emerald eyes swept over the audience. Roxas nearly swore when those breathtaking eyes paused on him. Surely he was looking at someone else. It wasn't until Axel looked away that Roxas noticed he had been holding his breath. Quickly, and as quietly as he could manage, the blonde brought fresh air into his stressed lungs, wincing at the sharp pain that stabbed through his left side.

His attention was then brought back to center stage where the second transfer student was introducing himself. The teen had dirty blonde hair and big bright blue eyes. His hair was styled into something between a faux-hawk and a mullet. It sounds hideous, but on this guy it worked.

"Hello guys! My name is Demyx, and I gotta say, I'm pretty excited to be going to school here. It's a heck of a lot better than the dump me and Ax used to go to. I can't wait to meet you guys in person…" The rest of his spiel was blocked out by the full out dread that took over Roxas.

Great. Another bubbly personality. Roxas could barely stand Sora, and they were brothers.

After he was finished, Demyx went and sat down next to Axel while the principal finished with the general announcements, and a few excruciating minutes later, they were dismissed. Roxas fled to his room, not even sparing a word for his brother. He needed to be alone.

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**Author's Note:** Okay, so everything after "Definately over confident." was almost excluded. But in the end, I decided to include it so we could meet Demyx. It gives the illusion that I actually know where I'm going with this. So, I'm not real talkative right now. I had a bad night. Although, I probably should have seen it coming. Guess I'll know better next time.

With Love,

Luci M.


	5. Chapter 5 Why?

**Disclaimer :** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters therein. No matter how many pretties I add to my please's they continue to deny letting me have them. It's really a bit tragic.

**Special Thanks :** To my long time friend Faye Silo. She helped me develope this story into something that could be interesting.

**Word Count : **1,599

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Chapter 5

**Why?**

Roxas had fled from the auditorium as quickly as if he had seen a ghost. To most spectators to said event, it was rather unsettling. Everyone knew Roxas for his calm demeanor. So, to see him so openly upset was like a sign of the apocalypse.

The blonde, however, knew that running away from the room was the only thing that would prevent him from losing his temper. And if he had lost it he would have taken it out on the source of his current anger. Axel. That pompous jerk. Roxas was not one to forget a face, much less one as outrageous as the red-head's. The moment that the other teen had made that first assumption of who he was, Roxas hated him. He knew that if he were to ever see Axel again, it wouldn't be pretty.

Currently, the blonde teen could be found in his room with the door locked shut. And despite his twin brother's desperate attempts to get him to open the door, Roxas wasn't able to hear one bit of it. He had music streaming full blast through his ear buds. So, naturally he was also unable to take any notice of the end of said noise, not the sound of a key unlocking his barrier from the outside world. The teen didn't even notice the door open, he was lying on the bed beside the window with his eyes closed tightly, like he was trying very hard to concentrate on calming down. He was dead to the world.

No, not one of these things had been able to capture the blonde's attention. Sora on the other hand, was being very observant of the situation. The instant that he recognized that Roxas was in the middle of going through his 'calming routine' he decided to wait for his twin to come to him and retreated to his room across the hall. Roxas was still lying there completely unaware of everything going on around him. That is, until one of his ear buds were removed, causing his eyes to shoot wide open.

The first thing that registered in his mind was the color green, and it filled him with an odd kind of feeling, it gave him goose bumps and butterflies. Then he registered red, it made him gasp and his heart race. Finally, he saw the entire thing for what it was. Axel's face, which was uncomfortably close to his own. Roxas could feel the heat rising to his face. Who the hell did this guy think he was that he could get this close to someone he doesn't even really know?

Once Axel knew he actually had the blonde's attention he displayed his usual smirk. "Hey there Blondie, never thought I'd see you again." Roxas' eyes narrowed, " My name is Roxas. Not Blondie." Much to the younger teens relief the red head finally stood back up at his full height. "Nice to meet 'cha Roxie, my name is Axel and I'm your new roommate." He was wearing an actual smile now in place of his smirk. The blonde eyed the others hand wearily before he slowly took it with his own. "It's Roxas. I don't like nick-names. Especially not stupid ones like 'Roxie' okay?" The older teen's smile merely morphed into a grin, "Whatever you say Roxie."

The shorter teens eyes narrowed. "Look, if you insist on calling me stupid things, you aren't gonna like the consequences." He took his hand back and folded both arms across his chest casting a menacing glare at the other teen. Axel chuckled a little and leaned back down, bringing his face in dangerous proximity to the angry blondes. "Is that a threat?" The grin was plastered playfully across his pale face, his eyes shone with amusement. Cerulean eyes sparked with anger, a cocky smirk appearing beneath them. "No jackass. It's a promise."

Something seemed to click in the others mind as he stood there leaning towards the blonde. "Mind telling me why you're in such a pissy mood? Did I do something or are you just extremely introverted?" The grin that he had worn previously was slowly replaced with a serious expression. Roxas remained silent for a moment, challenging the other with the intensity of his gaze alone. "And just why should I tell you anything? I don't know you and you don't know me." Blue eyes filled with such an intense fury that they almost seemed to glow. In contrast, emerald eyes softened in understanding.

" I see. You don't like the fact that I'm being all buddy-buddy with you when we aren't even friends yet right?" He almost sounded hopeful. The blonde was more than happy to bring said hope crashing to the ground in a fiery blaze of destruction. " Heh, trust me, that only added fuel to the fire. Same with that annoying cocky attitude of yours." The red-head looked slightly disappointed. He was so sure that he had been right about what was causing the other teen to hold such a hatred for him. " And you aren't going to just tell me?" Axel stood back to his full height again arms crossing his chest and eyebrows knitting together.

Roxas looked at him like he was stupid. After releasing an irritated sigh he responded in an exasperated tone, " I know you heard me the first time. But just in case you weren't able to comprehend it, I'll put it into simpler words that your little brain can understand. I-do-not-want-to-tell-you-an-y-thing-be-cause-I-do-not-know-you." The smaller teen wore a sarcastic expression as he spoke to the taller red-head. He then stood up next to Axel, finding that he didn't even reach the others shoulders. " Besides, you don't know anything about me. Why should I even bother? And further, why do you even care? It would have been fine if you-" Roxas was cut off by the soft voice of the other teen. He spoke with the smallest of smiles on his lips, barely even noticeable.

"Your name is Roxas Hikari, you have a brother who worries about you too much, you don't like art, you seem to like picking fights, but that could just mean that you're defensive, you like to listen to loud music, you don't like meeting new people, you probably only have a few friends because you have trouble trusting people, and you think being assumptious is rude." The blonde stood there speechless, shock clearly written upon his features.

The small smile on the others face morphed into another smirk as he took in the others reaction. "Does that sound about right to you? Or am I looking at this a little too closely?" He seemed to aim the second question to himself, it was said quietly. Axel appeared to be deep in thought as Roxas still let all of what he said sink in. How could someone he has only seen twice in his entire life know so much about him already? It was confusing, no one, not even his best friend Hayner had known some of those things. What was so different about this stranger that allowed him to see everything so easily? Roxas suppressed a shudder as he wondered what else the red-head had been able to see.

"Okay, so you got a couple of good guesses in there, what do you want? A cookie?" the blonde asked voice dripping with petulance. The other teen peered down at the other, asking the only question in his head aloud. "Why? Why do you use anger and violence to solve all of your problems?" he looked sad, almost disappointed even. Roxas was taken aback for a moment. He wasn't expecting that. No one ever asked why. Not even Sora. They just accepted him the way he was, damaged. He wasn't even sure of the answer himself. All he knew is that he didn't like the way this conversation had gone. It made him uncomfortable, especially with Axel looking at him like he was actually worried about him. His stomach churned. The blonde knew better than to even hope that someone would care other than his brother. It was just another lie. And he was sick of them. All that left his lips was a mumbled, " It's none of your business."

Before the red-head could ask anything else, Roxas left the room, shutting the door behind him. Axel gazed after him, worry still contorting his features. Why did he have to go and open his big mouth? The poor kid probably felt weird being asked something so personal by someone he just met. _God. _The teen thought. _I'm such an idiot._

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**Author's Note:** Sorry for it taking so long to finally posting a new chapter guys. Thanks for being patient and giving me your constant support. If it weren't for you guys this story would of died off long ago. I plan on trying to keep it updated more frequently. This time around though, I will probably only update it once a month.

Sincerely,

**_Luci. M._**


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